PONTE VEDRA BEACH — Big East athletic directors voted unanimously to support a four-team Bowl Championship Series playoff that rewards conference champions but still leaves room for an at-large team.

"They really embraced the concept of a four-team playoff," Big East senior associate commissioner Nick Carparelli said. "I think they all think we have an excellent chance to have a team competing for one of those spots on a regular basis. History dictates that we will. There was a preference to rewarding conference champions as much as possible, but at the same time, making sure we at least keep a spot available for an at-large."

The league's athletic directors voted unanimously in favor of using a standings formula instead of a selection committee to determine which conference champions or at-large teams earn spots in the new BCS playoff for the national title.

The BCS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick are slated to meet in Chicago in June to discuss the best playoff format options. Interim commissioner Joe Bailey and Carparelli will represent the Big East football schools at the meetings.

Swarbrick said he expects the group to settle on a plan in June so that it can be approved by university presidents and chancellors.

He said the financial compensation should be relatively easy to figure out, but it has been much more challenging to reach a consensus on the best playoff format. The group has to decide how to select teams and who would host the playoff games, which would have an effect on all other college bowl games.

"It's a multi-party negotiation with parties of varying interests and varying assets and it'd make a hell of a Broadway play," Swarbrick said. "…. There's been a level of collegiality that I don't think everyone would have anticipated. It's held well."

Swarbrick, who participates in Big East meetings because the schools non-football sports compete in the league, said he believes Notre Dame's independent football program will be included in a college football playoff if it finishes in the top four of whatever selection plan is ultimately implemented.

Once the playoff formula is set, the bowls can begin reaching out to conferences to revamp their long-term agreements. Carparelli said there has been high interest in the Big East's new lineup, and the conference is eager to establish new partnerships in the west now that Boise State, San Diego State, SMU and Houston are poised to join the league in 2013.

Big East hopes to quickly find new commissioner

Bailey said the Big East is committed to moving swiftly to hire a new commissioner, with the hope of completing the search in three to four months.

Swarbrick said the conference needs a strong leader who can move the league forward and compete with the bright leaders of other conferences.

The Big East will likely have to increase the compensation for the new commissioner. USA Today reported financial compensation for conference commissioners in 2010 based on tax records. Pacific 12 commissioner Larry Scott was paid $1.9 million in salary and bonuses, while Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney made $1.8 million, former Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe made $1.7 million, Atlantic Coast commissioner John Swofford made $1.5 million and Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive made a little more than $1 million.

Former Big East commissioner John Marinatto made $600,000, lagging behind both his peers representing automatic qualifying Bowl Championship Series conferences and Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky, who made $900,000.